Edwards and Hampson purchased its first CNC from Masterwood – a four-axis Project 400L – in 2008. After 12 years’ production on all types of general joinery, the decision was made to take advantage of Masterwood GB’s trade-in offer and get a new, advanced model with a discount, in exchange for the old CNC. Edwards and Hampson’s director, Arran Jordan, says: “We already had a good working relationship with the staff and engineers at Masterwood GB and it never entered into our mind to change suppliers and go with a different brand of machine.”
The new Project 351L was delivered from Italy and installed in February 2020, along with a new specialist stair software package.
“The removal of the existing machine and installation of the new one was seamless,” explains Arran. “Initially we had some minor problems, but these were effortlessly resolved by the Masterwood engineer, who stayed late into the evening with members of staff to make sure they were fully trained.”
The new Project 351L was supplied as a four-axis CNC with aggregate heads and a dual-exit, direct drive, horizontal router, plus pneumatic clamps to give variations on the standard vacuum pod clamping system. The gantry bed gives a 5200 x 1550mm working area, allowing components up to 1300mm wide to be fully machined.
The machine was backed up by Masterwood’s own CAD/CAM and 3D software. Unlike the previous CNC, the addition of a built-in waste conveyer proved to be a worthwhile extra. “A big factor of the new machine is how much easier it is to clean and maintain,” says Arran, “saving time which would otherwise have been wasted.”
Along with the CNC, Edwards and Hampson opted for the specialist StairBiz software through Masterwood.The new package is fully compatible with the entire Masterwood CNC range, and supplies the TLF files that allow full 3D viewing and editing of any programmes at the machine. Within the stair designs, just about any shape can be produced, including angles, curves and different directions. “The software has allowed us to streamline and automate the sales, design and manufacturing process, allowing us to save time and money,” says Arran.
Edwards and Hampson was fortunate to have the CNC delivered and fully installed just weeks before the country entered the first lockdown in March 2020 – a testing time for any business, but particularly so after such a large investment.
Concluding, Arran says: “If we had not had the new machine before the shutdown, trying to operate during the pandemic with an ageing machine could have been a disaster. Due to the increased demand we are seeing, having our old machine would have seen us unable to satisfy customer demand.”
To find out more information on new and used Masterwood CNC machinery, including trade-in offers, contact Masterwood GB.
01293 402700
[email protected]
www.masterwoodgb.co.uk
